1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a structure of a rear portion of a vehicle body for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a rear body structure of an automotive vehicle in which deformation characteristics of what is referred to as a "belt line" portion of the rear body are improved.
2. Description of Related Art
Rear bodies, including rear passenger compartments, of automotive vehicles typically have various reinforcement structures for preventing deformation of the vehicle bodies upon rear-end collisions. It has been known, for example, to provide reinforcements which strengthen structures defining openings in vehicle bodies such as door openings. Such a reinforcement usually constitutes a closed cross-sectional structure, in combination with a quarter panel, in what is known as a "belt line" portion of the rear body. A rear body structure such as this is, for instance, disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 2-44,573.
Another structure for reinforcing a rear body includes a rear pillar to which a front end of a reinforcement for reinforcing a belt line portion (hereafter referred to as a belt line reinforcement) of the rear vehicle body is attached.
In the event of a rear-end collision, enhanced protection is provided by a belt line reinforced rear cabin. The cabin has a "crumple zone" intended to absorb the energy of an impact before it reaches the passengers in the rear cabin. However, since the prior art belt line reinforcement, which is shaped as a flanged U-shaped channel, is secured to the quarter panel, only a rear portion of the belt line reinforcement crushes upon the occurrence of a rear-end collision. Consequently, the belt line reinforcement is sometimes insufficiently crushed. If the belt line reinforcement does in fact crush insufficiently, the rear pillar is thrust forward by the belt line reinforcement. This leads to easy deformation of the structure defining a body opening, such as a door opening, in the rear body.
On a side of the belt line reinforcement, there is conventionally disposed a suspension tower for supporting an upper end of a suspension apparatus. In this case, forward displacement of the belt line reinforcement, caused by a rear-end collision, may force the suspension tower to move forward greatly, causing a harmful influence on the suspension apparatus.